The Argosy, December 1905 — page 125: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A SCHEME TO WIN. He wore good clothes and was very particular about his dress. Loran slept well that night, but woke up with Emma Giddlethorpe on his mind. That morning he ate no breakfast at all. He just dreamed of possibilities. “ {t's no use,” he said to himself that noon. “I am not actually worth my salt to-day. Vve got to have Miss Giddle- thorpe or go mad. Now, you see, I can’t support a wife on seven dollars a week, unless—well—l think I'll go see the old man.” That night Mr. Giddlethorpe sat read- ing his paper. He had enjoyed a good supper, and Emma was somewhere busy- ing herself about the house. The bell rang, and the maid opened the door. Mr. Loran wished to see Mr. Giddlethorpe. He was admitted. Mr. Giddlethorpe had never pur- chased ribbons, and therefore had never met Mr.: Loran. He received the young man gra- ciously, wondering what he wanted. “} believe your name is Loran,” said he. “Is there any matter of business you want to see me about?” “Yes,” said Loran. “1 think it Is a matter of good business. You see, Mr. Giddlethorpe, last night I met your daughter at Mrs. Wigginson’s dance. Mrs. Wigginson is a friend of mine. L liked your daughter very much. In fact, sir, she struck me as being just the one —the only one, I may say—lI could wish as a wife. “T said nothing to her, of course. I made up my mind that I would see you and ask your consent to see your daugh- ter with a view to asking her to be my wife.” “Huh!” said Mr. “Ever see her before? ” “No, sir, only once, last night. But I can read human nature like a book. T could see after an hour that she was the very woman for me.” Mr. Giddlethorpe looked at his paper and grinned. “This fresh chump,” he thought to himself, “is about the limit. Emma must reduce her visiting list.” “ You were a poor man yourself once, Mr. Giddlethorpe,” Loran went on. Giddlethorpe. 103 Mr. Giddlethorpe leaned back in his chair. He laughed upreariously. “ Well, I should say I was!” he said. “} remember when I lived two days on one loaf of bread and the water I drank from a stream. There were fish in the stream, but | had no way of catching them. Furthermore, if I had caught them, I had no match to light a fire. IL knew the Indians used to light a fire by rubbing two sticks together until the heat generated a spark. I tried it. I blistered my hands, wore out my tem- per, and never even felt the wood get warm.” Young Loran listened eagerly. This was just what he wanted to hear. He was poor himself. He had a per- fect right to anticipate generous treat-_— ment from a man who had been so poor as Giddlethorpe. “You were fortunate in having the ability to make money,” said Loran. “ Oh, yes, I was fortunate! ” admitted Mr. Giddlethorpe with a laugh. “I was very fortunate. Know what I did? I got so hungry I grew desperate. I met a peddler with a pack. He was an old fellow and I was young, hungry, and desperate. I held him up. “He was scared almost to death. Of course I wasn’t going to hurt him, but he didn’t know that. By jiminy, he knelt down and begged my pardon for anything he had ever done to me, and | had never seen him before. “I took his pack away from him, and went to the next town and began to sell. Shoe-strings went up. I got ten cents a pair. Combs that he would have sold for ten cents 1 sold for twenty. As- bestos iron holders that would have brought five, brought me fifteen. ‘“{ made enough money to buy a new stock, and away I went. Then after a while I got a horse and wagon. Then I was made. I was rich. That’s the way I began hfe. Oh, I was poor enough.” “Then, having been through soe severe a school yourself, you will allow me to speak without fear. May I ad- dress your daughter?” Mr. Giddlethorpe studied his paper attentively, but in fact he was thinking. “ What is your business? ” he asked. “T am ribbon-salesman at Gerald’s.? COMMICLOOOKS (C@